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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
St. John's startup scene score: 25/100. Cost index 94, internet 55 Mbps, median income $65,500/yr. How does St. John's stack up for founders vs Newfoundland and Labrador peers?
St. John's startup scene score: 25/100. Cost index 94, internet 55 Mbps, median income $65,500/yr. How does St. John's stack up for founders vs Newfoundland and Labrador peers?
St. John's: cost index 94 (-12 vs national avg 106), rent $1,200/month.
Newfoundland and Labrador region average cost index: 106. St. John's is -12 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 63/100 — safety 66, healthcare 62, walkability 55.
Safety score: 66/100 (crime rate 55.3/1k). National average: 63/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. John's | 94 | $1,200 | $65,500 |
| 2 | Vancouver | 134 | $2,850 | $80,000 |
| 3 | Toronto | 126 | $2,750 | $82,000 |
| 4 | Montreal | 104 | $1,700 | $66,000 |
| 5 | Ottawa | 113 | $2,100 | $86,000 |
| 6 | Calgary | 114 | $2,050 | $86,500 |
| 7 | Victoria | 120 | $2,300 | $76,000 |
| 8 | Edmonton | 108 | $1,800 | $82,000 |
| 9 | Mississauga | 118 | $2,450 | $80,000 |
| 10 | Halifax | 100 | $1,720 | $66,000 |
| 11 | Quebec City | 96 | $1,350 | $63,500 |
| 12 | Hamilton | 110 | $1,880 | $76,000 |
| 13 | Winnipeg | 93 | $1,420 | $67,500 |
| 14 | London | 101 | $1,660 | $68,500 |
| 15 | Surrey | 124 | $2,420 | $74,000 |
| 16 | Saskatoon | 96 | $1,480 | $72,000 |
| 17 | Regina | 94 | $1,370 | $70,000 |
| 18 | Laval | 101 | $1,500 | $67,500 |
| 19 | Fredericton | 92 | $1,260 | $61,000 |
| 20 | Saint John | 90 | $1,210 | $59,000 |
Think you know which city wins? The data might disagree. St. John's has a cost index of 94 — 12 points below the Canada national average of 106. Median income is $65,500 with rent at $1,200/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 22%. That's a strong position by any measure.
The trade-off becomes clearer when you add healthcare into the mix. looking at Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole, the spread across all 21 cities is 1 points on the cost index. Charlottetown sits at the other end with index 93 and rent of $1,340/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, St. John's scores a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (66), healthcare (62), and walkability (55) metrics. Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
St. John's — cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500, QoL 63/100.
Vancouver — cost index 134, rent $2,850/mo, income $80,000, QoL 59/100.
Toronto — cost index 126, rent $2,750/mo, income $82,000, QoL 56/100.
Montreal — cost index 104, rent $1,700/mo, income $66,000, QoL 64/100.
Ottawa — cost index 113, rent $2,100/mo, income $86,000, QoL 64/100.
St. John's has a cost index of 94 (national avg: 106), rent $1,200/mo, median income $65,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 63/100.
The Newfoundland and Labrador region of average QoL score is 61/100. St. John's leads with 63/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA.
St. John's: cost index 94, rent $1,200/mo, income $65,500/yr, QoL 63/100. Vancouver: cost index 134, rent $2,850/mo, income $80,000/yr, QoL 59/100.
This analysis uses data from Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA to rank cities in Canada. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.